An Assistant Commissioner in Delhi Central Excise has been missing since the last 17 years and 18 other senior officers of the customs and excise are missing from service for more than five years but the government has no clue about their whereabouts.

After desperate wait, the government has decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings against all the IRS officers under the Central Civil Services rules, 1965. A letter from Joy Kumari Chander, Member (P&V) to Chief Commissioners of the zones concerned, on June 25 had sought the original personal files and service books of all the missing officers to take appropriate action.

As per the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) letter and details running into seven pages, Meenu G Krishnan, a 1980 batch IRS officer who was promoted as Commissioner in 2002, is missing since July 2003. Despite being on unauthorised leave for 11 years, CBEC in June listed her name for ‘non-functional upgradation’ by extending her the grade of Principal Commissioner. Anil Singh Bedi, Additional Commissioner, was transferred from Bhopal Zone to NACEN Faridabad but he did not join the new assignment. However, CBEC doesn’t have details regarding Additional Commissioner Rajesh Nagpal, IRS officer of 1989 batch.

Additional commissioner Ram Sewak Dubeywas on study leave beginning 2004 till 2006 after which Extra Ordinary Leave (EOL) for three years was sanctioned till 2009. However, CBEC says he did not join posting at Shillong.Similarly, Joint Commissioner Rajesh Kumar Jha was transferred to Bangalore from Mumbai in 2006. However, CBEC says no information is available about the officer who did not join the new field posting. Deputy Commissioner Rajyashri Waghray is also missing since 1999. Her last posting was with Bangalore zone. Another Deputy Commissioner Bujimalla Venkata Ramesh with Central Excise Ahmadabad was relieved in 2006 to join new posting in Mumbai Custom Zone but he did not turn up. CBEC said Deputy Commissioner D K Dhawan was supposed to join Central Excise Chandigarh but he reportedly left for abroad.

Smita Rawat, Assistant Commissioner in Delhi Central Excise, is missing since 1997. Another Assistant Commissioner Vinay Kumar Bawa, who was transferred to Customs Amritsar from Delhi Zone in 2004 has not joined the new posting. CBEC has no information about the officer. There are five other officers who are yet to be traced by the government.

On June 2, Mala Srivastava, Special Secretary& Member of CBEC, had forwarded the list of the 19 officers to Chief Commissioners and DG, CBEC, saying “a decision has been taken at the level of competent authority to take action either of deemed resignation under Rule 12(2) of CCS (leave) Rules 1972 or disciplinary proceeding under Rule 14 of CCS (CCA) Rules 1965 against such officers”.

Interestingly, Ministry of Finance, in a written reply on Friday in the Lok Sabha, said that two officers out of the 19 missing, Anil Singh Bedi, IRS officer of 1986 batch and Rajesh Nagpal of 1989 batch, have since been dismissed from the service while resignation of Amit Goel has been accepted. However, no information was provided about 16 other missing officers.